French Toast with Berry Compote

MatsonLife
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French Toast with Berry Compote

This recipe of French Toast with berry compote is great for cooking outside or in a van. The perfect fuel for hiking or biking. We serve ours with chicken sausage for extra protein and yumminess! Otherwise it is a great vegetarian meal. You could definitely mix it up and use any type of bread or even waffles for the french toast part!

Berry Compote is pretty easy to make in the van too. Here’s how we make ours, simmer some fresh berries with a bit of sugar on a pot for 15-20 minutes until to your desired consistency.

Alternatively here’s a really simple recipe for a berry compote that can be made on the stove top in minutes, and only needs 3 ingredients!

French toast with berry compote

French Toast topped with Berry Compote with a side of Chicken Breakfast Sausage

MatsonLife
Meat Based
This easy recipe works with many types of bread. We used Trader Joes’ Maple Streusel Bread. This tender, fluffy and indulgent recipe comes together so quickly and you can serve it with a side of breakfast sausage for a sweet and salty flavor. We topped ours with a homemade Berry Compote. Simmer some fresh berries with a bit of sugar on a pot for 15-20 minutes until to your desired consistency. Enjoy!
5 from 2 votes
30 minute meal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 2
Diet Meat Based

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Cup almond milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Pinch salt
  • 4 slices maple streusel bread
  • 1 Handful fresh blueberries
  • 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • Chicken breakfast sausage optional

Instructions
 

  • Whisk almond milk, eggs, salt and sugar together in a shallow bowl.
  • Lightly butter a skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
  • Dunk the bread in the egg mixture, soaking on both sides.
  • Transfer to the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides. (3-4 mins per side)
  • Place on a dish and top with berry compote, a slice of butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
  • Note: serve it with a side of chicken breakfast sausage for a sweet and savory taste!

Notes

This breakfast can easily be vegetarian if not including the chicken sausages

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 12gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 473mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 434IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 3mg
Keyword blackberries, breakfast, brunch, Easy, french toast, quick cook, sausage, Simple
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Rigatoni alla vodka

Vanlife Eats
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Rigatoni alla vodka

This recipe for Rigatoni all vodka is one of our featured vanlifers favourite meals to eat in their bus Sweet Bea. Read their feature here.

Vodka sauce, at its base, is a tomato and cream sauce laced with a bit of red pepper and a splash of vodka. It is more of an Italian-American dish than proper Italian, though it did originate in the old country.

That origin is somewhat debated, though the story that makes the most sense to me, and one that I have read many times, has to do with simple economics. Back in the 1970s, vodka distillers were attempting to get their product to take hold in Italy. In addition to the typical advertising, they sought out the somewhat unusual path of trying to get chefs to use it in the kitchen. While this advertising route seems strange to me, it may have been what led to pasta alla vodka, which has quickly become one of my personal favorite meals to cook.

But the question stands, particularly if it was all a marketing ploy, does the vodka actually add anything to the sauce? The evidence appears to say yes. At low concentrations, alcohol increases the perception of aroma, so the splash of vodka serves to just bump that flavor meter up a notch. This is part of the reason why wine is often used in cooking. Additionally, the alcohol serves as an emulsifier, helping to keep the mixture of tomato and cream silky smooth.

Anecdotally, I have forgotten to add the vodka when making this dish in the past and not realized until I tasted the final product and found it a touch lackluster. I certainly didn’t think that splash of liquor would make much of a difference, but there you go.

Rigatoni alla vodka

Rigatoni alla vodka

@the.buslife.kitchen
Vegetarian
This delicious pasta dish is a great vegetarian meal. Perfect for cooking in a tiny home and super tasty!
5 from 1 vote
30 minute meal – Stove top meal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Servings 4
Diet Vegetarian

Equipment

  • Large pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Rigatoni or penne
  • 1 Shallot large
  • 4 Garlic cloves
  • 4 oz Parmesan grated
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 4.5 oz double-concentrated tomato paste 1 tube
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 oz Vodka
  • 3/4 cup Heavy cream
  • 1 handful basil to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Start water for pasta in a pot and add a liberal quantity of salt. When boiling, toss the rigatoni in. In the meantime, start work on the sauce.
  • Add olive oil to a dutch oven over medium heat. Chop shallots and garlic very finely and add to the pan with oil. Cook until browning at the edges, 5 or 6 minutes. Once the shallots begin to brown, add the tomato paste and red pepper. Cook this until the paste darkens slightly and sticks to the bottom.
  • Deglaze the pan with the vodka. Be sure to scrape the bottom of any dark burned bits. As this is boiling, scoop ¼ cup of the pasta water into a bowl and add ¾ cup heavy cream. The pasta water brings the cream up to temperature so that it will not scald when added to the hot pan.
  • Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir the cream in. Once the cream is in, add half the grated parmesan a bit at a time while stirring, allowing it to melt into the mix. Then add another half cup of pasta water a bit at a time, stirring the whole time. This thins the sauce. If you’d like the sauce a bit thinner, you can keep adding water a bit at a time, but probably no more than another quarter cup.
  • Serve the pasta topped with the remaining parmesan cheese, a few cranks of black pepper, and a bit of chopped fresh basil.

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 19gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 482mgPotassium: 301mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1142IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 389mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Easy, pasta, quick, Simple, stove top, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

The Buslife Kitchen

Vanlife Eats
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The Buslife Kitchen

Meet featured vanlifers Andy & Ayana of The Buslife Kitchen. Cookbook author, jeweller, chef to fellow nomads and living buslife full-time. Andy and Ayana live full time in their bus Sweet Bea with their gorgeous puggle Tori.

Vanlife or Buslife?

Vanlife or Buslife was something this pair discussed on their very first date, and they realised they shared this idea of lifestyle and adventure.

“We both love travel and adventure, and wanted to live a simpler life with more time to focus on the things we really care about. Living small and nomadic means we can work less and enjoy more“

Shortly after meeting the pair bought a bus and the conversion began. The bus was used for helping to transport disabled people. After converting it, they have been living in Sweet Bea for the last 2 years. One of their favourite features of the bus is the roof deck. What an amazing spot to sit and watch the sunset or watch the stars together.

Andy and Ayana sitting on the roof deck of the bus

Ayana is a silversmith who makes jewellery on the road. The pair really enjoy foraging and so it’s natural this love reaches into Ayana’s jewellery making too. She quite often sets flowers and plants they find on foraging trips into resin for jewellery.

As well as foraging Andy enjoys hunting and fishing and enjoys creating recipes with what he catches. Living buslife and meeting fellow nomads on their travels, he began to cook for them. That is how The Buslife Kitchen came about…

Andy and Ayana have their table and chairs set up in the middle of nowhere. Their dog is looking on

The Buslife Kitchen

After cooking for fellow nomads on the road on their buslife adventures, Andy decided to share these delicious recipes with others. As writing is another passion of his, he decided to write a cookbook. Living in the bus gave him the time and opportunity to write his first cookbook, The Buslife Kitchen. The cookbook features 107 recipes from 15 different cuisines, and aims to bring gourmet meals into tiny homes everywhere. The recipes are designed and cooked in the kitchen on the bus and so is perfectly suited to those whose home has 4 wheels. All recipes are designed to be made on a stove top, ideal for those of us who don’t have ovens! You can purchase the cookbook right here The Buslife Kitchen.

Andy photographing a plate of food in the bus for the cookbook.

Adventures of buslifers

Their favourite place to be is parked up in the forest. They park up on public lands as much as possible, but have been known to park on friends driveways when needed. Having said that, travel and adventure was what the pair were seeking and what better adventure than joining the circus! During a pretty bad breakdown of the bus Ayana was offered the job of a Nanny with a travelling circus. This pair swapped buslife in the forest for a more urban adventure travelling around different cities and seeing what they have to offer. After a year of this, nature was calling them and they headed back on their buslife adventure.

As much as they love travelling together, they both have their own favourite places they have visited. For Ayana, her favourite place so far has been nestled amongst the pinyon and juniper tress in the Red Rock desert Sedona, Arizona. They spent several weeks there enjoying many of the free camping spots.

Ayana in the bus kitchen with a bottle of water

Andy prefers to be closer to water, so his favourite spot so far has been Telephone Cove in Nevada. Free camping right on the beachfront with crystal clear waters, buslife at it’s best. Their ultimate dream would be driving the bus to Alaska so make sure to follow their socials and keep an eye on their travels (links at the bottom of the page).

There are many ups and downs when living in a bus full-time. As with any vehicle they can break down from time-to-time. 6 months after being on the road they were driving through the desert. When Andy looked in the mirror he noticed motor oil down the side of the bus. They immediately stopped and were lucky enough to be close to a town and were towed to a garage. Being stranded without a vehicle is one thing but when it’s also your home it has extra implications. Luckily, the mechanic worked his wonders and they were back on the road a day later.

The bus is parked up in the middle of the desert with the doors open

As well as lows there are so many highs when living in a bus full-time. The ever changing scene out the window, visiting new places, experiencing a more simple lifestyle to name a few. The community is an amazingly supportive one, and one of the couple’s highlights so far involved fellow nomads. They decided to have a small thanksgiving feast with fellow nomads, with Andy doing the cooking! Which was no mean feat in a bus with no oven. There is little they like more than setting the table for friends and enjoying a good meal together. We can’t agree more and love the way food can bring joy and people together!

Sometimes life reminds you why being a nomad and having the ability to up and leave is a good thing! Andy and Ayana were visiting a warm spring in California when they met some of the locals. A group of older people enjoying the nudist lifestyle. This in itself wasn’t an issue, but their incessant talk of their ‘group’ activities made for uncomfortable listening. Many characters were encountered, including Beach ball Bob and his wife. Beach ball Bob, called this because he resembled, you guessed it, a beach ball. When Bob had a little too much to drink he would recite his escapades from high school. Primarily the time he blew up a trash can at school. While regaling everyone with this story Bob’s wife would disappear into the bushes with the masseuse. He actually turned out to be a trucker, who was on good terms with all the wives in the group! So unfortunately the trip to the hot spring didn’t last too long before Andy & Ayana were on their travels once more

The kitchen in the Bus

With The Buslife Kitchen cookbook being written, designed and photographed in the bus, you may imagine a large sprawling kitchen. The bus has a 3 burner propane stove, and a large 78l fridge. As you would expect with an enthusiastic chef there is a full spice rack and pantry. Good quality cookware is also a must. A fair chunk of their storage in the kitchen is reserved for their cast iron cookware and kitchen gadgets. Their favourite kitchen gadget is their immersion blender, a great multi purpose gadget. Not only can it be used as a blender, but also as a whisk, food processor, and milk frother.

When designing the layout of the bus, the kitchen was an important aspect. They knew they would want to make many amazing meals in there so it was a very important part of the build. It was essential for them to have a large enough fridge for their ingredients, as well as a good solid worktop. As with many vans not having an oven can mean a different way of cooking. This took a while to adjust to, the first time Andy attempted to roast a bird on the stove he burnt the base for the gravy. Ever the professional though, he pulled it back and made a delicious gravy in the end.

Andy is cooking a turkey in a pan on a hob

The couple try to eat a varied diet from a range of cuisines, and limit their meat consumption so make a lot of vegetarian meals. One of their favourite meals to make in the bus is sushi, something vanlifers shy away from. Sticking to vegetarian sushi means there is no need to find fresh fish on the road. It is easy enough to make but feels very luxurious!

Advice for fellow vanlifers

When we asked featured vanlifers Ayana & Andy what advice they had for anyone considering vanlife or buslife, this is what they said….

“Do it. You only go around once, and nothing is guaranteed. Don’t spend your time living by anyone else’s rules”

Andy and Ayana with Tori the puggle outside the bus

Where to find The Buslife Kitchen

You can find Andy and Ayana on their socials below. If you can’t wait to get your hands on their cookbook then you can find one of their recipes right here. Rigatoni alla vodka, enjoy!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.buslife.kitchen

Instagram: www.instagram.com/letsliveeverywhere

Facebook: www.facebook.com/the.buslife.kitchen

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@the.buslife.kitchen

Website: www.thebuslifekitchen.com

Andy making pizza in the bus
Ayana eating tacos by her laptop in the bus
The bus framed by a beautiful pink cloudy sky
Andy & Ayana with their backs to the camera. Sat on the roofdeck of the van looking into a canyon.
The bus at night time. A campfire outside with Andy and Ayana stood in front of it

Van bake off Baked Pumpkin Soup

amerimanx_travels
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Van bake off Baked Pumpkin Soup

This Baked Pumpkin Soup was a well deserved winner for Halloween week on Van Bake off! Actually baking a pumpkin in your van and making soup is so amazing. If you aren’t lucky enough to have an oven maybe you could try it on the bbq or open fire.

Soup is such a great autumnal meal, and using seasonal ingredients such as pumpkin helps keep it interesting.

Roasted Pumpkin soup

Baked Pumpkin Soup

amerimanx_travels
Meat Based, Vegetarian
Nothing says Autumn more than a pumpkin and baked pumpkin soup is a great way to welcome all the wonderful sights and smells of the Autumnal season. Light a fire, throw some cosy pj’s on, curl up with a good book or movie and enjoy this cheesy cream feel good soup. With a few ingredient adjustments, this recipe could be made very vegan inclusive.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Servings 2 people
Diet Meat Based, Vegetarian

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Sharp knife
  • Cutting board
  • Large metal spoon
  • Grater
  • Baking dish
  • Saucepan
  • Ladle

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Kg onion squash or similar pumpkin.
  • 300 ml double cream plus a little extra if needed
  • 1/8 teaspoon of grated Nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste to taste. White pepper works well too
  • 50 ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • 100 g Gruyère Emmantal or Cheddar
  • Chilli flakes – if desired to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180c/fan oven 160c/gas mark 4
  • Wash the pumpkin, and with a sharp, sturdy (serrated) knife cut a reasonable size hole in the top of the pumpkin (ideally keeping the stalk attached to the lid and with a cut angled to allow the lid to sit back into top of pumpkin). With a strong spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh until inside is clean. Discard the insides.
  • Combine cream, stock, nutmeg, cheese, salt and pepper (chilli flakes if wanted) inside pumpkin, and replace lid.
  • Pat dry outside of pumpkin, brush with olive oil to coat outside of pumpkin.
  • Place in a shallow baking dish. Pop into oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, take off lid (CAUTION – inside will be steaming) poke fork into pumpkin flesh to check for tenderness. If not done, replace lid and put back into oven, checking every 10 mins until pumpkin flesh is fork tender.
  • There are 2 ways to combine pumpkin into the cream mixture.
  • 1. Start scooping flesh inside pumpkin, mashing and stiring to combine until everything is incorporated, or
  • 2. Remove all liquid from pumpkin, place in saucepan. Start scooping and removing cooked pumpkin flesh, adding to cream mixture, mashing and stiring until everything is combined. Reheat until bubbling, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with additional cheese.
  • Serve hot with warm buttered crusty bread

Nutrition

Calories: 981kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 29gFat: 72gSaturated Fat: 45gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 226mgSodium: 507mgPotassium: 3584mgFiber: 5gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 87875IUVitamin C: 91mgCalcium: 815mgIron: 8mg
Keyword autumn, fall recipe, pumpkin, soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Mint Aero Brownies

Vanlife Eats
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Mint Aero Brownies

We love brownies, and we decided to add some of our favourite chocolate too to make Mint aero brownies.

We really fancied brownies in the van, without an oven we thought that chocolate goodness may be out of our reach. However, we have seen lots of different things being made in a sandwich toaster recently. So thought we would give brownies a shot. Deciding which chocolate to add was a tricky one and so we decided on mint aero brownies. These can be made with any type of chocolate and we have since made these brownies with mars bars & terry’s chocolate orange. Which one would you try?

Delicious! When cooking in a sandwich toaster, the ones without ridges are best, such as the ridgemonkey. This recipe would need to be doubled if making in a conventional oven.

aero brownies

Mint Aero Brownies

Vegetarian
These aero mint brownies are ideal for when you want a quick chocolate cake fix. The best bit is that you can use any of your favourite chocolate bars. We did these in our sandwich toaster on the hob! Great for any vanlifers without an oven – or even those with one.
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – 30 minute meal – Family friendly – One-pan – Stove top meal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Baking, Dessert, Snacks
Servings 9 portions
Diet Vegetarian

Equipment

  • RidgeMonkey Sandwich Toaster We used the Compact XL

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup Butter or margarine
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 6 tbsp Cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 Egg
  • 4.5 tbsp Plain flour
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 pack Mint aero bubbles or 100g of chocolate of your choice

Instructions
 

  • Measure everything apart from the chocolate into a mixing bowl and then mix together. Add 3/4 of the chocolate and mix in
  • Pour the mixture into the sandwich toaster (it needs to be one without ridges). Cook for 10-15 minutes over a low flame turning regularly.
  • Take off the heat and open the lid, the mixture may not be fully set. It will continue to cook through when off the heat.
  • When cool remove from the toaster. Crush the remaining chocolate and sprinkle over the top of the brownies.
  • Cut into 9 pieces and enjoy.

Video

@vanlifeeats

Sometimes on Sundays we eat brownies, especially mint aero ones! What chocolate bars should we use next? @RidgeMonkey #brownies #aero #vanlife #vanlifeeats #vanlifecooking #campervancooking #vanmeals #ridgemonkey

♬ Bubbly – Slowed + Reverb – Slo-Fi Ghost

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 66mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 241IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
Keyword brownies, chocolate, dessert, mint, pudding, quick, ridge monkey, Simple, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

5 Top Tips for using an Omnia oven

Vanlife Eats
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5 Top Tips for using an Omnia oven

If you are the proud owner of an Omnia oven – you need to know these tips!

We have had our Omnia for a while after seeing it on various vanlife accounts on social media. We knew we had to try one. We have never had an oven in the van, which had truly limited my (Sophie) baking, which may have been good for our waistlines but not so good for our greedy taste buds. When we saw the Omnia oven we looked into it and ordered ourselves one. They are fairly expensive, but ours has been well used and loved for a good couple of years now. It has taken a beating but it still does the job perfectly, so for us, well worth the investment (We have gone through a couple of the silicone Omnia moulds though – although that’s a whole different story!). After a couple of years using it we wanted to share our top tips with you!

best van life oven omnia stove top

What is an Omnia oven?


The Omnia is a stove top oven. Originally created in Sweden for kitchens on boats it has taken vanlife by storm. It takes up much less room in the van than an oven and means you can enjoy some of those meals you may have thought were off limits! If you want to see more information about the Omnia and how it works then you can read our article here. To describe it briefly the Omnia oven sits on a hob. It can be used on most types of heat source including bbq’s, but can not be used on an induction hob. The heat from the hob heats the bottom of the pan and passes through the ‘hole’ in the middle. When the heat hits the lid it bounces back in to heat the top of the pan. This ensures a nice even heat throughout.

Omnia Blueberry upside down cake

Omnia oven tip number 1 

Hot stuff!

This Omnia tip definitely needs to be at number one! Man – these things get H-O-T, hot!!! Think Nelly needing to take off all his clothes hot! So this first tip is a bit of a safety warning. When using the Omnia it will become very hot. This includes the lid and handle, so please be careful when handling.

We always use a tea towel to hold the handle when taking the lid off (I say we – but Mark has asbestos fingers so usually manages without!). Also be careful where you put the lid after taking it off as you wouldn’t want to burn your van worktops. If using the silicone mould this becomes super hot too.

It is definitely not an unusual occurrence for the smell of singed hair to lingering in our van when using the Omnia. It’s cheaper than waxing! Seriously though if using it be very careful about the heat coming up through the centre when the lid is off. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

lemon drizzle Omnia

Omnia oven tip number 2

Low and slow

Being as the Omnia is on the hob it’s very easy to get a burnt bottom! The first few cakes I made had more than a dark tinge to the bottom where I had the heat too high. The tip when cooking with an Omnia is to cook over a low/medium heat. This means the heat will be more evenly distributed and won’t get too hot at the bottom. Sometimes this means you have to cook things for a little longer than you would in a conventional oven.

It can be tricky to get the balance and does take some getting used to. You can use a thermometer if you would like to monitor the temperature until you get used to the best level of heat to use. We have never used the thermometer in our Omnia oven and feel happy getting the right balance with the heat, but that may not work for everyone. If in doubt, low and slow is the way to go!

This leads us on to tip number 3…

Omnia rolo brownies

Omnia oven tip number 3

No peeking!

Like we said before, cooking in an Omnia oven requires a bit of a knack. Trusting the Omnia to work its magic and not being able to see how it’s coming along definitely puts your willpower to the test!

It’s important when using the Omnia oven to have a bit of faith. It can be tricky when you can’t see what’s happening while cooking. Especially if you are playing around with the heat to get the right temperature. You may have slightly more faith is using a thermometer so you can at least see the temperature is correct. As I said before – we have never used one so can’t account for it’s accuracy.

As with a conventional oven if you open it, the heat escapes and so it goes without saying this happens with the Omnia too. While it may get back up to temperature pretty quickly it does mean you may end up with a sunken cake – nobody wants that!

So as difficult as it is, top tip number three is not to peek in at your goodies baking away. We have tried to peek through the holes. Mark is convinced he can see in through the holes using a torchlight – me, not so much. So stick with trusting the process – which usually works – and if you do need to take a peek try to lift the lid only slightly and be quick!

campervan pizza Omnia

Omnia oven tip number 4

Use the mould!

The main staples we cook in the Omnia oven are bread and cakes. As with most metal tins, when cooking in them, things can get stuck. So Omnia top tip number 4 is to use the mould. When we initially purchased the Omnia oven, we purchased the oven alone. We weren’t sure how we were going to get along with it and didn’t want to buy all the bits of kit that go alongside it if we didn’t like it. This was a bit of a rookie mistake.

Trying to line a round tin with a hole in the middle with baking paper is no easy feat! Not impossible but certainly not something I wanted to be doing everytime I used the Omnia – or ever again for that matter! Not only was it a nightmare to fit in, the edges got stuck into the side of the cake pulling chunks off when removed. 

It is probably best to have 2 moulds if you can afford it, one for sweet and one for savoury….. we’ll come onto that later.

Using the mould has 2 purposes. Firstly, it will stop your delicious baked goods from getting stuck to the Omnia oven. Secondly it holds heat really well. This means whatever you are cooking will continue to cook even after the heat is off. We appreciate this can be a bad thing as well as good! Due to this when using, I personally take my cakes off the heat slightly before I need to and leave it in the pan and mould to continue cooking. Remove the lid though – nobody likes a sweaty cake. Plus this saves on gas!

van life omnia oven mould

Omnia oven tip number 5

To heat or not to heat?

This next tip for using your Omnia oven is a contentious one. We have seen many a discussion about whether to pre-heat your Omnia oven or not. Just as you would pre-heat a conventional oven, some argue that it would be beneficial to pre-heat your Omnia oven also. We have tried with and without and didn’t notice a massive amount of difference to be honest.

When making cakes in particular pre-heating the oven can be crucial to the rise, texture & taste of the cake as explained here by Betty Crocker. In our experience we quite often pre-heat the oven for a few minutes before. They get hot very quickly. If we don’t pre-heat the Omnia then we turn the heat up high for a few minutes to get the heat in quickly and help the cake to rise. Just remember to turn it down for the rest of the cooking so you don’t get a burnt bottom!

Being as there are mixed opinions about this let us know in the comments if you pre-heat your Omnia or not.

Vegan Mushroom Omnia Pie

Bonus tips

As the Omnia oven increases in popularity more and more products are becoming available. If cooking a savoury meal then these split liners may come in handy!

Split Omnia liner

There are rumours that if you want to avoid a burnt bottom then you can sit the liner on top of the wire rack. Some say this helps ensure the bottom of the cake doesn’t get too hot and burn. We haven’t tried this one so if you try it let us know.

This third bonus tip comes from experience! Just imagine your lovely other half – who is now banned from using the Omnia – used the Omnia. Imagine said other half cooked a fish pie, yes you read that correctly – FISH PIE in your beloved Omnia Oven. Imagine getting ready to bake a cake in your precious Omnia, open the lid and boom, the whiff of fish hits you. I tried all sorts of things to try and get the smell out of the mould. Trying to get out of the dog house, the lovely other half was moments away from purchasing a new one when I found this awesome tip on the internet. Warm the mould up, this then opens the pores of it. Washing it with warm soapy water then means you can clean it more effectively. This works with all high grade silicone products – Omnia mould saved.

This would probably be a good time to mention why we are on our second Omnia mould. Mark decided to use the Omnia (before the fish pie incident!) he placed the liner in between the base and the oven. This resulted in a melted mould and silicone all over the hob! Not a great experience.

Still not convinced an Ominia oven is for you, or looking for a different option? Check out our article detailing oven ideas for vanlife here!

Vegan Mushroom Omnia Pie

We hope you enjoyed reading these top tips for using an Omnia oven. Make sure to check out our Omnia recipes, and add your own too!

If you are looking to buy your very own Omnia oven, we recommend purchasing from the amazing Brown Bird & Company

Please note : this article contains affiliate links. These incur you no extra charges on your purchases but provides us with a small commission to cover the running costs of the website. Thank you

Bake off Chilaquiles

amerimanx_travels
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Bake off Chilaquiles

This delicious recipe of chilaquiles was our winner for Van Bake off’s Mexican week. Chilaquiles is a great breakfast dish. Using pre-made salsa is a great tip for making chilaquiles more quickly. Making it a great vanlife recipe for any campervan.

This recipe was submitted by @amerimanx_travels for mexican week in van bake off.

chilaquiles

Chilaquiles

amerimanx_travels
Vegetarian
Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast dish. The word chilaquiles comes from the Nahuatl language, meaning chilis and greens. A traditional dish served in Mexico, the recipe hit the United States in 1898 when featured in The Spanish Cookbook, by Encarnación Pinedo. It’s a way of using up old stale Tortillas and left over salsa. The beauty of chilaquiles is they are completely customizable. Serve with a scrambled ,fried egg on top, or with cheese, shredded chicken, refried bean or roasted veggies — the options are endless. Because it’s so versatile, this dish is the perfect opportunity to use up any leftovers found in the fridge. The dish can be adapted for Vegans, Vegetarians or meat eaters alike. I suggest using Salsa Verde (green salsa) with chicken and Salsa Rioja (red salsa) with beef. I used Old El Paso Street Food Corn Tortillas. Old stale tortillas crisps are a good substitute.
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – Family friendly – Stove top meal
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner
Servings 4 people
Diet Vegetarian

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Corn Tortillas old El Paso Street Food
  • 1/4 cup Sunflower oil for frying
  • 1 Jar Red or green salsa
  • 1 tsp Salt

Additional toppings

  • 80 g Grated Cheddar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 Avocado
  • 4 tbsp Sour Cream
  • 4 handfuls Shredded chicken
  • 1 can Refried beans

Instructions
 

For the Tortilla chips

  • Fry the tortillas. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add about a quarter of the tortilla wedges and cook, flipping once, until lightly brown and crisp.
  • Drain the tortilla chips. Drain the freshly fried tortilla chips on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat this process until all tortillas are fried, adding more oil if needed.

For the salsa

  • Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salsa and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes (the consistency of the salsa will vary depending on the size and juiciness of the tomatoes). Add additional broth to thin out the salsa, if needed. Taste and season with salt as needed.
  • Add the tortilla chips to the salsa and stir carefully to coat the chips. Cook until the tortillas are heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed.
  • Serve warm. Serve warm garnished with avocado or guacamole, crema, queso fresco, and/or fried eggs, if desired.

Notes

Use vegan toppings to easily convert this dish to be vegan.

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 17gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 192mgSodium: 1161mgPotassium: 410mgFiber: 8gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 640IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 237mgIron: 2mg
Keyword brunch, gluten free, Mexican, van bake off
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Omnia Blueberry Upside Down Cake

Vanlife Eats
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Omnia Blueberry Upside Down Cake

This Omnia blueberry cake went down an absolute treat in our campervan. This recipe is ideal if you are a blueberry fan, and a great recipe for any campervan. For Mark’s birthday I wanted to try baking something different to a traditional birthday cake. We had been looking online at seasonal produce and saw bilberries. I then saw a recipe for a bilberry upside down cake and really wanted to try it. We went to a few different shops and couldn’t find any, I didn’t have the time to forage any either (although it’s the right time of year for it!) So I had to settle on blueberry upside down cake instead.

Luckily Mark had a humongous punnet of blueberries in the fridge, they were taking up so much space and needed using up – got to use up those leftovers and space is at a premium in a campervan fridge! So I decided to try a blueberry upside down cake – in the Omnia of course. With not having an oven in our van, the Omnia comes in handy. I love the round cakes we make in it, you can make them into a real feature.

So there you go, I used Mark’s blueberry stash to make his own birthday cake – he didn’t mind when he tasted it though.This recipe would work well with other fruit too. Don’t forget to rate it and leave a review if you try it

Omnia Blueberry upside down cake

Omnia Blueberry Upside Down Cake

Vegetarian
This Omnia blueberry upside down cake has a slightly dense texture which is complimented really well by the juicy blueberries. This recipe is easy prep and you can prepare the cake mixture while the blueberry topping is cooking to save time!
5 from 1 vote
Family friendly – Leftovers – Stove top meal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Baking, Dessert
Servings 8
Diet Vegetarian

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For the Blueberry topping

  • 1 1/2 Cups Blueberries
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

For the cake mixture

  • 1/4 Cup Butter (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Plain Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Pinch Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Milk

Instructions
 

For the blueberry topping

  • Put the blueberries and the 1/2 cup brown sugar into the silicone mould. Put into the Omina over a medium flame, whilst preparing the cake mixture.

For the cake mixture

  • While the blueberries are cooking, prepare the cake mixture.
  • Cream together the butter and sugar.
  • Beat in the 2 eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, and pinch of salt. Mix into the mixture.
  • Stir in the milk until well incorporated.
  • Remove the Omnia from the heat, the blueberries and sugar should have cooked down and be soft with lots of liquid. Pour the batter over the top.
  • Cook over a medium flame for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Leave until cool enough to flip over onto a plate, and then job done! Just the fun of eating it all up then.

Notes

Please note this can also be cooked in an oven. Cook on Gas Mark 4 for around half an hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 98mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 276IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Baking, blueberries, Cake, Easy, easy prep, omnia
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Bake Off Pear and Ginger Mochi Cake

TheVessel
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Bake Off Pear and Ginger Mochi Cake

This awesome pear and ginger mochi cake was crowned star baker in cake week in the Van Bake Off 2022. This creation was entered by Yarrow of @thevvessell such a great flavour combination and gluten free!

There are a couple of variations to the recipe so be sure to read to the bottom!

Pear, ginger, mochi cake

Pear and Ginger Mochi Cake

@thevessel
Vegetarian
Mochi cake is a Japanese rice cake. Pear & ginger is such a classic combo and super tasty! This recipe can either be made in a square tin or bundt style tin.
5 from 1 vote
Family friendly
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Baking, Dessert, Snacks
Servings 9
Diet Vegetarian

Equipment

  • Oven
  • 8/9 inch cake tin / bundt pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Pears Sliced thinly
  • 1/3 cup Butter Browned, melted
  • 1 cup Milk (I tend to use mixture of coconut milk & whole milk)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Sugar white (or organic white)
  • 1 cup Sweet white rice flour
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger root finely grated
  • 1 tbsp Molasses
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Salt

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350F/175C/Gas mark 3
  • Butter cake pan – Use parchment paper if using the square tin
  • Layer pears on the bottom of the buttered tin. Sprinkle the pears with 1 tbsp of the brown sugar. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the browned butter on the pears.
  • Mix the eggs, milk and both sugars with a whisk.
  • Mix the baking powder with the rice flour. Add half of this mixture to the batter and whisk in. Whisk in the remainder of the flour.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, whisking well,
  • Pour the batter over the pears in the tin.
  • Bake for 40 minutes until the centre is set and firm.
  • Cool for 10-20 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife point and carefully invert onto a plate. Enjoy as is or with fresh cream.

Notes

Alternatives
  • Add pears to the top of the batter – some of the pieces will sink. Sprinkle them with brown sugar. Lessen the butter to 1/4 cup
  • Ginger spice version. Omit the pears. Increase the cinnamon to 1 tsp. Add nutmeg, all spice, cardamom and/or powdered ginger to your taste. Lessen the butter to 1/4 cup
  • Super ginger version. Add minced, candied ginger to the batter. Lessen the butter to 1/4 cup
Recipe by Yarrow Rubin (@thevessel)
Inspired by Vanlife Eats, Bob’s Red Mill butter mochi cake recipe and Joan Gates’ Pear Upside cake recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 389mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 2gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 317IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 1mg
Keyword autumn, bakeoff, Baking, Cake, ginger, gluten free, oven, pears, star baker, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Yoghurt Flatbreads with Dukkah

Exploring Eden Books
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Yoghurt Flatbreads with Dukkah

Yoghurt flatbreads are a perfect vanlife recipe, and ideal for making in a campervan or any small kitchen!

Ash Butler, author of The Small Kitchen Cook (@thesmallkitchencookbook) makes these yoghurt flatbreads all the time. They are super affordable, full of protein from the yoghurt, contain very few ingredients and are quick to make as the resting time is minimal. Eat them with curries, meat from the barbeque, or on their own with dips and dukkah. Use them to replace store-bought wraps and fill them with your favourite sandwich ingredients. Check out more recipes in Ash’s book – exploringedenbooks.co

Yoghurt flatbreads with dukkah

Yoghurt Flat Bread with dukkah

@exploringedenbooks
Vegetarian
This super easy and quick recipe is a favourite from the author of this vanlife cookbook! Flatbreads are super versatile and can go with so many different dishes!
5 from 2 votes
5 ingredients or less – Family friendly – Quick cook – Stove top meal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dinner, Outdoor, Side Dish, Snack, Soup
Servings 6
Diet Vegetarian

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup bread flour plus extra for dusting
  • 3/4 cup full-fat Greek yoghurt
  • 2 pinches of flakey sea salt
  • 6 tsp Olive oil or butter for pan frying about 1 teaspoon for each
  • sprinkle Dukkah

Instructions
 

  • Combine the flour, yoghurt and salt in a small bowl and stir it to combine. Lightly flour the bench or a chopping board and bring the dough together until you reach a non-sticky and smooth dough. This will only take a minute. You don’t need to knead this flatbread.
  • Place the dough back in the bowl with a little flour in the bottom.
  • I have found that it’s easier to roll out these breads once the dough has had a little time to rest, either in the fridge or in a cool place in your small kitchen. It doesn’t need much rest time; around 20 minutes is fine.
  • Once the dough has rested, divide it into six equal parts. Form them into balls and then roll them out with a rolling pin or a floured wine bottle (or any other glass bottle you have handy.
  • Next, place your frypan on medium heat and add a small splash of oil or butter – just enough to lightly grease the pan. Cook the dough until golden on both sides – it should only take a couple of minutes. Wrap the breads in a clean dish towel to keep them warm as you cook.
  • These are best served immediately, sprinkled with dukkah.

Notes

This recipe can be easily adapted to be vegan by substituting the yoghurt for vegan yoghurt.
This recipe can also be adapted to be gluten free by substituting the flour for a gluten free option such as rice flour

Nutrition

Calories: 795kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 32gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1040mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 851IUCalcium: 225mgIron: 1mg
Keyword bread, camp fire cooking, Easy, easy prep, quick and easy, Simple
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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